3/01/2011

Will the Real Vanessa Please Stand Up?

The movement is afoot to get Integrity Toys to stop production of the redesigned Vanessa head mold. Hopefully the designers will listen and make collectors happy.

I have decided to join with those petitioning IT. Vanessa is my favorite mold after all and although I didn't see that much difference, I'd rather no changes at all.

There have been 22 versions of Vanessa manufactured since the beginning. There have been 15 Agnes dolls. Does that mean that Agnes will also get restyled soon? She's wildly popular among collectors as Vanessa has always been.

Restyling a product that is loved

is not good business.

All a doll needs is different facial screening, different hair styling and a great outfit to change her appearance. Make light, medium and dark versions. Discontinue or reduce her production.
You don't change an icon's appearance. Who is making these decisions?

These are all Vanessa. Most are IT's own promotional photos. Of these, five were not terribly popular but sold out fast nevertheless. All except Aerodynamic are hunted by collectors. The prices for these dolls can be extraordinarily high.

I ought to just dig up my protests against the restyling of Veronique or my comments about the restyling of Natalia. That was ridiculous. It stopped being Natalia. I am quite sure that sales have not improved as a result of these changes. Isn't that why IT is in business? Is someone with an out-of-control ego loose in the boardroom?

When In Bloom Vanessa, the W Club doll from 2007 was shown there was a very negative reaction to her appearance and it was changed because of that.

While most unhappy collectors are busy protesting on the W Board and other boards, I have suggested they write directly to the designers at Integrity Toys. At the last convention, Vaughn said he wanted to hear what collectors think. Is he paying attention? Is anyone?

Great post, Terri! I don't understand why Integrity wanted to re-do such a popular doll either, and ambush us with the change, no less! Aren't they supposed to be in business to make money? But they do similar things that don't make sense from a financial standpoint. Why offer dolls that would sell many times over, like last year's Vanessa, as a very limited lottery doll? Hey, maybe they think people will only collect if they help to create an over inflated secondary market for these dolls, but gee, I would think they would like to make money on the primary market, too. And in the same process, they would have made way more that 300 people happy, had they offered it as a club doll instead.

I sure hope they are paying attention indeed. We want the "old" Vanessa back, and FAST!

This character they presented us with, last saturday is no close to the icon Vanessa has become. Why, why mess with perfection! Who is next? Eugenia?

Well, on the other hand, that is good for me (bad for IT), because if changes to fave characters are made, without respect for what the clients think, I'll just stop buying the dolls.

It would be good for my pocket.

My collection is pretty beautiful as it is, and I know my husband would raise hands to the skies if I stopped buying dolls. mmmm... maybe he knows someone at IT, and convinced them to help him out in achieving that gold of his?...

I have never really been a fan of Integrity's toothy dolls. For me, they have always looked like they needed a quick trip to the orthodontist. AG's & Monogram dolls needed the most dental work, these days and then Adele and Vanessa. Oh well....

Maybe a petition will started to get Veronique back to her old self? :)

Susan has a wonderful point. I totally understand the reasoning behind ultra-limited editions, but I agree that it must cut into profits when most people cannot buy what they want, unless they buy it secondarily. I am not a Vanessa or Vero collector, but I LOVE Agnes, and would NOT like to see her resculpted. Good luck with the petition, so this "tampering with an Icon" trend ends!

I could not agree more.In my opinion, many of the old faces I loved have changed...Agnes is no longer Agnes!!! Now Giselle looks a little different, then poor Veronique, Isha? I don't even recognize her. This puts a HUGE damper on my fun and wanting to buy anything.

Like you - Vanessa is my favorite sculpt with the original Veronique right behind her. Her incarnations have always been exciting and anticipated - until now.

I won't beat around the bush. The doll the IT design-team debuted last Saturday and is claiming to be the NEW Vanessa Perrin will not be accepted or purchased - in any future incarnation by this collector (and I am hoping other collectors) and we will do everything we can to let the design team know this was, is and always will be a poor decision.

Just a thought...If the farmer's Market selling beautiful, succulent fruit and veggies one weekend sells out - - Do they lure you in with beautiful inedible WAX fruit and vegetables the next weekend?I don't think so.;)

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When I switched photo servers a year ago, many of my images were lost in a black hole. If you are going back in time throughout my blog, you will come across these black holes. It's unfortunate but it would take me a huge amount of time to identify and republish the images. If there is a specific one you are very interested in, email me with the date of the post and I will try to get it for you.Thanks for your continued interest in my blog!Terri